


The Days During Winter

by momojuusu



Series: Monsta X Bingo Winter Edition [3]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Cat/Human Hybrids, Drabble Collection, Fluff, M/M, Monsta X Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-02 16:28:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momojuusu/pseuds/momojuusu
Summary: Hyunwoo the human decides to adopt Minhyuk the cat in one cold day during winter, and every wonderful thing happens after that.





	1. Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Monsta X Bingo Winter Edition with the prompt winter!AU.

It was a cold day during winter when Hyunwoo the human met Minhyuk the cat. People nowadays were interested in cat hybrids, and Hyunwoo was a curious one. Many of his friends had cat hybrids, and from their stories, it seemed nice to have one, so Hyunwoo thought maybe adopting one wouldn’t be that bad. Thus, on one cold Saturday, he went to the pet shelter with Kihyun, his friend who owned a cat boy, to choose a cat.

There were many cats at the shelter, and they competed to steal Hyunwoo’s interest. They were all cute and fluffy, causing Hyunwoo to have some difficulties to pick one. The cats were very, very adorable that Hyunwoo wanted to bring them all home.

“I can’t decide,” Hyunwoo said to Kihyun. “They’re all sweet.”

Kihyun chuckled at his friend’s words. “You can’t bring everyone home,” he said. “You should pick one, the one that you feel ‘the click’ with you.”

Hyunwoo frowned. He didn’t feel ‘the click’ yet. Every hybrid had their different unique charm, and he fell for it. It was hard to choose when he just wanted to shower them with love, not skipping any single soul.

But then, when he started feeling hopeless, his eyes caught a small figure at the corner of the shelter playroom. The hybrid, a cat boy, looked a little shy, but he couldn’t hide curiosity in his sparkling eyes. It was a cat hybrid with white hair and a pair of beautiful, blue eyes that gleamed like two tiny galaxies.

Walking slowly toward the cat boy, Hyunwoo squatted down in front of him and stretched his arm, waiting for the cat to reach it. And, the cat did, and Hyunwoo felt ‘the click’ Kihyun told him.

“What’s your name, kitten?” Hyunwoo asked softly.

“Minhyuk,” the cat mumbled the answer.

Hyunwoo hummed as he repeated the name in a small voice, liking how it rolled on his tongue. He then patted the cat’s head, stroking the white hair gently and smiling when the cat boy leaned into his touch.

“Do you want to come home with me, Minhyuk?”

Minhyuk’s eyes rounded, mouth gaping, as though he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. It didn’t take long for Hyunwoo to get the answer, though, because a second later, Minhyuk had nodded vigorously and jumped into Hyunwoo’s embrace, making Hyunwoo laugh at the cuteness.

“Have you decided, then?” Kihyun’s voice caught Hyunwoo’s attention.

“I think so,” Hyunwoo answered as he looked down at the cat boy in his arms. He scratched Minhyuk’s ear, earning himself a satisfied purr from the hybrid. “Let’s go home, kitten.”


	2. Sweater

It was a cold day during winter when Hyunwoo found Minhyuk wearing his old sweater. He had just gotten back from work, all drained and exhausted. He got busier before Christmas holiday that he rarely came home in usual time, and the cold weather only made him feel even more tired. All he wanted now was a nice shower with warm water and cuddling with Minhyuk afterward.

“I’m home,” he greeted when he opened his apartment door. “Kitten, where are you?”

It wasn’t hard to find Minhyuk because the cat was sitting on the couch with pouting lips. “You’re late again,” he said, sulking.

“I’m sorry,” Hyunwoo approached Minhyuk and rubbed the white hair gently. “Work is hectic before the holiday. I’ll take you to some nice place for Christmas, okay? Don’t be mad at me, please.”

Minhyuk huffed; he moved to straddle on Hyunwoo’s lap and snuggle to the man’s warmth. “I missed you,” the cat mumbled. “I wanted to cuddle with you all the time, but you’re almost never home.”

Hyunwoo couldn’t help but feel guilty. His kitten felt lonely, he could hear it in Minhyuk’s tone, and it was his fault. He had committed to take care of Minhyuk, not letting him feel sad, but his work prevented him from doing so. He often came home when Minhyuk had fallen asleep lately, and it hurt him to see Minhyuk’s lonely sleeping face.

“I missed you, too, Min,” Hyunwoo rubbed his cheek against Minhyuk’s soft ear, loving the ticklish sensation on his skin. “We’ll have a good time on holiday, I promise.”

Minhyuk didn’t say anything in return, but he nodded, anyway. He shifted closer to Hyunwoo, moving a little to get a more comfortable position. Hyunwoo let the kitten take his bigger hand and play with his fingers; Minhyuk’s hands were barely seen because the sweater was way too big for the cat.

It was when he noticed that Minhyuk wasn’t wearing his usual sweater; instead, Minhyuk was wearing his old sweater his mother knitted for him long ago. He never used it anymore since it had been a little too tight for him, and he already bought new ones, but the fabric of this sweater was still the softest among all.

“Where did you get this?” Hyunwoo asked, finger pointing at the sweater Minhyuk was wearing.”

“In your closet,” Minhyuk looked up at Hyunwoo, face showing an apologetic expression. “I spilled milk on my sweater, and I couldn’t find the new one, so I took one from your closet. I’m sorry Hyunwoo, I should’ve asked for your permission first.”

The kitten moved his gaze to his lap, hands playing with the hem of the sweater, and he reminded Hyunwoo of a little kid who got scolded by their mother, even though Hyunwoo didn’t scold Minhyuk—no, Hyunwoo wasn’t even mad at him.

“Do you like it?” Hyunwoo asked again, and Minhyuk nodded.

“It’s very soft!” the kitten said. “It’s soft and warm, better than all my sweaters. It’s not like I don’t like my sweaters—I like everything you bought me—but this one is softer and warmer, and it smells like you.”

Minhyuk’s eyes were sparkling when he explained how he liked the sweater—“I _love_ this sweater so much!”—and Hyunwoo found it very cute. He chuckled at the enthusiasm Minhyuk was showing that he couldn’t stop himself from giving a soft kiss on Minhyuk’s forehead because the white-haired cat boy was adorable.

“You can have it if you want,” the human said. “My mother knitted it for me, but I can’t wear it since my body grew bigger that it doesn’t fit anymore so that you can have it. It’d be better than keeping it in the closet.”

Hyunwoo laughed when Minhyuk immediately hugged him as soon as he gave the kitten permission to wear the sweater and starting that night, Hyunwoo would see Minhyuk wearing it every day.

(The big sweater drowned Minhyuk’s slender body that he looked like a warm and cuddly fluff ball, and Hyunwoo couldn’t help but snuggle him all day.)


	3. Sick

It was a cold day during winter when Hyunwoo caught a cold. His throat hurt since morning, and he started coughing badly, but he insisted on going to work (and received a bunch of texts from Minhyuk, asking him if he was okay every hour). However, his condition got worse even before lunch time. He felt feverish, and yes, he indeed caught a fever, so he decided to call it a day and go home after having permission from his boss.

Minhyuk’s worried eyes were the ones greeting him when he walked into his apartment. The cat boy quickly approached him and cupped his cheeks. He let Minhyuk bring his face down so the kitten could stick their foreheads together, and Minhyuk gasped as he found that Hyunwoo’s temperature was quite high.

“You’re sick!” Minhyuk stated panicky. He dragged Hyunwoo to their bedroom and pushed him on the bed. “Sleep! I’ll make something warm for you.”

Hyunwoo groaned; his head pounded that he had a hard time to keep his eyes open, but he couldn’t let Minhyuk go to the kitchen and initiate to cook him something (the last time Hyunwoo let Minhyuk do something in the kitchen, the cat almost ended up burning the entire room). “Min,” he called weakly, “do me a favor, yeah?”

Minhyuk was about to exit the bedroom, but he stopped and went back to where Hyunwoo was, sitting on the edge of the bed and waiting for the order.

“Call Hoseok and tell him that I’m sick. Ask him if he can leave his work for a moment and help us here, and maybe he can bring me egg drop soup from his restaurant.”

Knowing Hoseok and his family since he was a kid, Hyunwoo always ate egg drop soup from their restaurant when he was sick, and Hoseok would always be the one helping him handle the domestic tasks. It seemed old habit died hard because it still happened even until now.

Hyunwoo closed his eyes after giving Minhyuk an instruction of what to do, expecting Minhyuk to go and do what he had told him, but when he didn’t feel the cat moved from where he sat, Hyunwoo forced his eyes to open again.

“Kitten?” He reached to caress Minhyuk’s cheek when he found his kitten looking at him with an unreadable look. “Can you do it for me?”

Minhyuk’s lips clasped into a thin line, but then he mumbled a soft “yes.” Quietly, he went outside and soon, Hyunwoo could hear his voice talking to Hoseok on the phone. Hyunwoo sighed, hoping his friend would come soon.

It seemed Hyunwoo was falling asleep not long after that, and when he woke up, Hoseok had been there beside him, with a bowl of egg drop soup.

“Wake up, old bear,” Hoseok shook Hyunwoo’s arm gently, making sure that the older man was fully awake. “I brought your favorite. Come on, let’s eat.”

Hyunwoo grunted as his head hurt like hell when he sat up. His breath was a little heavy; even doing some movements had made him feel tired. “I’m sorry for making you leave your restaurant at rush hour,” he said with a hoarse voice, “it must be hectic.”

“Don’t worry,” said the blond as he helped Hyunwoo lean onto the bedpost, putting a pillow so Hyunwoo would feel more comfortable. He then added, “It’s not like you never did it before, anyway. We’re getting used to it, you know.”

Hyunwoo smiled weakly, saying a small “thank you” and letting Hoseok feed him the soup. He frowned in pain because it felt like he was eating thorns instead of food.

“It hurts to swallow,” Hyunwoo said, half-whining like a child. “I don’t think I can eat it all.”

“You always said something like that, but you ended up eating everything,” Hoseok rolled his eyes before chuckling. “Don’t act like a kid, Hyunwoo. Eat it up, so you can drink your medicine and sleep.”

Hyunwoo mumbled incoherently as a protest, but he complied, anyway. He sighed when the bowl was empty, _finally_. He lay down after taking his medicine, feeling a little bit better—at least his head didn’t hurt that much anymore after eating. He was about to close his eyes, but then he remembered something.

“Where’s Minhyuk?”

“He’s waiting outside,” Hoseok answered. “I asked him if he wanted to feed you the food, but he said I should do it instead of him. He looked a little down, though. Did something happen?”

Hyunwoo kept quiet. What Hoseok said reminded him of the unreadable expression he last saw before his kitten left the room, and how he had a bad feeling about it. Did he say something that had hurt Minhyuk? Did _he_ hurt Minhyuk?

“Tell him to accompany me, Hoseok,” Hyunwoo said after a while. “I can’t sleep soundly without him.”

Hoseok smiled understandingly. “Roger that,” he said. He draped the warm comforter on Hyunwoo’s body before taking the empty bowl outside.

Not long after, the door opened again, and Minhyuk stepped inside. Hyunwoo looked at the cat boy closely, studying his face. Minhyuk looked uncomfortable, he didn’t know why, and there was hesitation in his mesmerizing blue eyes. He only stood there, beside the bed, not like usual when he would just jump to the empty spot Hyunwoo always had for him and cuddle to his owner.

“Kitten,” Hyunwoo patted the space beside him, “what are you waiting for?”

Minhyuk was fidgeting, but then he slowly lay down beside Hyunwoo, curling against the bigger body. He made soft noises when Hyunwoo pulled him into his embrace, purring at the gentleness of his master.

“Hyunwoo…” the cat called him with a small voice.

“What is it, Min?” Hyunwoo looked down, only to meet with Minhyuk’s teary eyes. His awareness raised; every sense in his body woke up. “Kitten, what’s wrong?”

“I-I’m sorry,” Minhyuk’s voice quivered. “You were in pain, but I couldn’t help you. I-I couldn’t even do a simple thing to make you feel better. I’m—I’m useless. H-Hyunwoo, I’m sorry, I—”

Hyunwoo felt like something clenched his heart tightly to see Minhyuk in such state. He could see guilt and worried in Minhyuk’s eyes, but on top of all, those blue orbs told Hyunwoo that Minhyuk was blaming himself for unable to be even a little help, which Hyunwoo didn’t agree.

“Oh, kitten…” Hyunwoo sighed. He carded his fingers through Minhyuk’s soft locks, giving the white head a gentle peck. “Who says you’re useless? You’re not. You’re helping me right now.”

Minhyuk pouted, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m not doing anything.”

“You are,” Hyunwoo released his arms around the cat boy’s slender body so he could get a better view of the beautiful face. “You’re here with me. It’s more than enough.”

The white-haired cat boy looked at Hyunwoo, obviously still unsure about it. “B-But,” he started again, “I can’t cook. I can’t clean the apartment. I can’t even do anything when you’re sick like this. Aren’t I only a burden for you?”

“Stay with me. It’s all that I need from you.”

There were pink tints on Minhyuk’s cheeks, and Hyunwoo’s heart beat a beat faster.


	4. Christmas Eve

It was a cold day during winter—the night before Christmas, to be exact—when Hyunwoo took Minhyuk to see a Christmas parade at one of the biggest amusement parks in the city. Minhyuk was super excited when they arrived at the park; he always loved seeing many people gathering in happiness.

“Minhyuk, stay close to me!” Hyunwoo grabbed Minhyuk by his thin wrist and pulled him closer. It was never easy to bring Minhyuk to such a place because the cat boy always wanted to run here and there, looking for new things he wouldn’t find in Hyunwoo’s apartment.

There were so many people coming to see the Christmas parade tonight. Hyunwoo smiled at Minhyuk’s enthusiasm, happy to see his kitten grinning widely at all the beautiful things around them.

“The lights are so beautiful! And the music! And—oh, Hyunwoo, Hyunwoo! They sell hot chocolate!”

After a cup of hot chocolate and two pieces of marshmallows (Hyunwoo gave up on his because Minhyuk kept having those kitty eyes at it), they were finally settled behind the sparkling ropes, which were the barrier between the visitors and the parade. It would be Christmas soon, and the parade would be the last show to welcome the big day.

Hyunwoo could feel Minhyuk’s gloved hand gripping tightly onto his when the parade began. His eyes glowed with wonder when pretty ladies with colorful and gleaming fairy dresses came to dance as the opening of the show. Christmas songs were played as they danced, and Minhyuk was stunned by it.

The next ones were the Santa’s elves, coming with happy songs; they were doing some funny dances, and Minhyuk laughed at it—and Hyunwoo had never realized that Minhyuk had such beautiful laughter.

Hyunwoo didn’t know that he was staring. Instead of watching the wonderful parade, Hyunwoo was staring at the person beside him, who was holding his hand tightly because he was too excited. Hyunwoo was staring at how the soft, white strands were dancing with the chilly wind of December, how the cheeks turned rosy, and how the lips had the color of cherry.

Hyunwoo was staring at the beautiful eyes; those orbs had a weird blue color, but were still amazingly beautiful, and how Hyunwoo wanted to drown in them. Hyunwoo didn’t know that his heart started beating faster. He didn’t realize that he had drawn Minhyuk closer, an arm around those tiny shoulders, chin on top of the white head—funny, he could smell something like spring from Minhyuk, with a little hint of peach, even though spring was still far away.

Hyunwoo didn’t notice that he had stayed in that position until Minhyuk said, “Hyunwoo, it’s snowing.”

It was the first snow this year. It fell gracefully like a hundred fairies floating around them. One small snowball landed on Hyunwoo’s hand before melting to his warmth.

“Looks like we’ll have a White Christmas this year,” Hyunwoo murmured as he moved his gaze from his hand to the cat boy in front of him.

And once again, Hyunwoo was captivated. The white snow, Minhyuk’s white hair, his white coat—everything made the cat boy look like an angel. Minhyuk looked at Hyunwoo with the softest eyes, and Hyunwoo should hold himself from hugging the beauty right here, right now.

“Hyunwoo,” Minhyuk called him. “This is the most wonderful day I’ve ever had. Thank you.”

It happened so fast that Hyunwoo almost couldn’t believe it. The softness still lingered, and even though it felt like a dream, Hyunwoo knew it was real.

“What was that for?”

“Y-Your Christmas gift.”

Minhyuk’s face was as red as a tomato. Hyunwoo couldn’t help but laugh.

So, that was how Minhyuk would look like after stealing a kiss from him.


	5. First Heat

It was a cold day during winter when Minhyuk got heat. Hyunwoo knew about cat boys and their wave of heat, but he’d never expected that it would come this soon. He didn’t know what to do. Minhyuk felt very uncomfortable all day; he kept whining, “Hyunwoo, it’s hot, it’s _too_ hot,” but Hyunwoo couldn’t do anything to make his kitten feel better.

In the end, Hyunwoo decided to call Kihyun. Kihyun had adopted a cat boy long after Hyunwoo took Minhyuk home, and he was sure Kihyun could help him.

“He’s in heat,” Hyunwoo explained. “I wanted to bring him to the shelter, just in case they could help us find a cat to handle him, but he refused. What should I do? Now he’s rubbing his body against mine—god, kitten, please don’t do that—Kihyun, I need help!”

Minhyuk didn’t try to grind onto Hyunwoo’s body anymore after that, but from the way the cat boy curled himself close to Hyunwoo, the bronze-skinned man knew that his kitten was in pain and he needed to do something to make Minhyuk feel better.

 _“Alright, alright,”_ Kihyun said _, “I can let Hyungwon take care of Minhyuk’s heat for this once. But remember, just this once.”_

“Just come here,” Hyunwoo said, “hurry.”

Kihyun and his cat, Hyungwon, arrived not long after the phone call. Hyungwon, a tall cat hybrid with light brown hair and black eyes, had been Kihyun’s for nearly three years by now. He was so handsome that Hyunwoo sometimes thought that he might be a cat prince from some cat kingdom.

Hyungwon’s ears twitched the moment Hyunwoo opened the door. He didn’t wait for Hyunwoo’s permission to enter the apartment. “Spring and peach, what a sweet scent,” said the cat. He made a beeline to Hyunwoo’s room, where Minhyuk was sleeping restlessly. “I can handle this. You two can go.”

“Go? You mean you want me to leave you here _alone_ with _my_ kitten?” Hyunwoo seemed to disagree, but Kihyun held him on his wrist.

“It’s okay,” said the pink-haired male (Hyunwoo was still amazed by Kihyun’s hair, but it suited Kihyun, anyway), “Hyungwon knows what to do. Let’s just have fun while waiting for them.”

Hyunwoo let Kihyun drove them to a coffee shop nearby, but he still voiced his worries about leaving Minhyuk alone with Hyungwon. “Will they be okay? Will _Minhyuk_ be okay?”

“You don’t want to hear them doing it, Hyunwoo. Believe me, you’d be traumatized if you did,” Kihyun said with a chuckle. “You don’t have to worry. Hyungwon won’t hurt Minhyuk.”

Hyunwoo knew Hyungwon wouldn’t hurt Minhyuk, but it wasn’t his biggest concern. It was just Minhyuk, _his_ Minhyuk, would be, probably was, touched by other hands but his, and even though it was needed, there was this feeling in his heart that made him feel unsettled.

Not even a cup of Americano could make Hyunwoo feel better. He was worried, and all he could think of was Minhyuk. Was he doing okay? Would he be back to his usual self when Hyunwoo was home? Did Hyungwon—did Hyungwon _mate_ him? Hyunwoo shook his head. No, he didn’t want to think about it. Minhyuk had mated with Hyungwon? No, Hyunwoo wouldn’t let it happen—

“I know how you feel,” Kihyun’s voice brought Hyunwoo’s mind back to his head. “Your beloved kitten is in heat, and you need another cat to take care of him—I know you wish you could be the one doing it with him.”

Hyunwoo felt the heat crawling up his cheeks. He understood what Kihyun meant, but he still said, “I don’t know what you were talking about.”

“No need to be shy, Hyunwoo,” The pink-haired male laughed lightly—understandingly—at his friend. He sliced the strawberry shortcake he ordered with a small fork and ate it in delight as he continued, “Some people find their bonds with their cats are so strong that they develop new feelings. It’s something normal to happen, and it happens a lot, so you don’t have to deny your feeling for Minhyuk. I can see it clearly, anyway.”

Now Hyunwoo was blushing brightly, causing Kihyun’s laughter to grow louder. Hyunwoo cleared his throat awkwardly, embarrassed that Kihyun found out about his feeling toward Minhyuk.

“I-Is,” Hyunwoo cursed under his breath for he stumbled upon his own word, “is it normal to happen? I mean… to have _feelings_ for our pets.”

Kihyun’s face softened at the question, and Hyunwoo noticed it. There was something that made Kihyun understand, something mutual…

“You—you’ve been in this situation once, haven’t you,” It sounded more like a statement rather than a question. “You’re in love with Hyungwon, aren’t you?”

Kihyun grinned. “That’s why I told you not to worry. Your jealousy is not needed. Hyungwon can’t own anyone else but me.”

It felt like forever until Kihyun received a text from Hyungwon, telling that it was okay to go back. Hyunwoo’s heart raced when they arrived at his apartment, hand a bit shaking when he unlocked the door.

His apartment was on silent. Hyunwoo walked straight to his room but hesitated once his hand was on the door handle. He inhaled deeply, waiting until his heart could calm down a little before he entered the room.

Minhyuk was there with Hyungwon. The white-haired cat boy had his head on Hyungwon’s lap while Hyungwon rubbed his hair gently. He looked so small curling like that, and his sweater—or Hyunwoo’s, since Minhyuk was rarely seen without that sweater—made him look even smaller.

Minhyuk opened his eyes when he heard Hyunwoo’s footsteps, and he got up in a slow, graceful motion, blue eyes sparkling once they caught Hyunwoo’s figure. “Hyunwoo,” he called, voice huskier than usual. He reached for Hyunwoo, and in no time, he had been secured in Hyunwoo’s muscular arms.

“Kitten,” Hyunwoo buried his nose into Minhyuk’s fluffy hair as he hugged the cat boy tightly. “Are you alright? Is everything okay now?”

Minhyuk chuckled as he nodded. “I’m alright. Hyungwon was handling me gently,” he said softly, but then he added apologetically. “I’m sorry for worrying you. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

Hyunwoo noticed that Hyungwon had stood beside Kihyun, nuzzling to his owner’s neck when Hyunwoo was busy making sure that Minhyuk was really okay. Hyunwoo flashed a grateful smile, and Hyungwon smiled back at him, even though it was only a small smile.

“Next time he’s in heat, you should be the one handling him,” Hyungwon said, and by the time he spoke, Minhyuk’s face flushed. “He moaned your name all the time. He wanted _you_ that bad.”

“H-Hyungwon!” Minhyuk protested, but Hyungwon only shrugged it off.

“If you were a cat, you would recognize that my smell on him was fading away so quickly the time you hugged him,” Hyungwon smirked teasingly. “That should mean something.”

Minhyuk’s face was still bright red even after Kihyun and Hyungwon went home. He lay on the sofa, head on Hyunwoo’s lap, and Hyunwoo knew his kitten was trying hard to focus on the TV show they were currently watching.

“Min,” Hyunwoo ran his fingers through Minhyuk’s hair, “is what Hyungwon said true?”

Minhyuk’s ears twitched, the red color on his face went even brighter. “Hyungwon was talking nonsense,” he mumbled.

“I don’t think he talked nonsense, though,” said the tan-skinned man. “Answer me honestly, kitten.”

Minhyuk made desperate noises before jumped to Hyunwoo’s lap. “I’m sorry!” he said furiously. “I-I know it was inappropriate, but I couldn’t help it; i-it was out of my control! It won’t happen again, Hyunwoo, I promise—”

Minhyuk was panicking; he was blushing madly, and Hyunwoo found it endearing. He cradled Minhyuk’s face and brought it closer to his, sticking their foreheads together.

“I was jealous,” Hyunwoo’s voice sounded like a weak whisper as he spoke with eyes close, “Hyungwon could _touch_ you, making you feel _good_ while all I could do was wait until it was over. I wished I could be the one doing it with you, but I was afraid… I was afraid that I might hurt you. I couldn’t help but feel so jealous toward Hyungwon.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes fluttered open when he felt Minhyuk’s soft palms on his cheeks. He looked up only to find Minhyuk stared at him, face as red as an apple.

“T-Then,” the cat boy started, “I want you to take care of me next time. And the next, next time. And the next, next, next time, too… I-I want you, Hyunwoo…”

Minhyuk hid his face on the joint of Hyunwoo’s neck and shoulder after that, too ashamed to face his master.

Hyunwoo embraced the cat boy tightly, a smile blooming on his face.


	6. Breakfast

It was a cold day during winter when Hyunwoo woke up without Minhyuk beside him. He frowned at the emptiness, opening his eyes once he realized Minhyuk’s absence. It was still early in the morning, and he knew Minhyuk wouldn’t leave his master’s side, at least until Hyunwoo was up, so Hyunwoo assumed that something was off this morning.

“Kitten,” Hyunwoo called, but he got nothing as an answer. Groaning, he forced his body to get off of the bed and walked outside. “Kitten, where are you?”

Again, there was no answer, but as Hyunwoo stepped outside, he could hear something noisy from the kitchen. That made Hyunwoo’s sense woke up fully, and he quickly went to the kitchen (while praying for Minhyuk not to destroy anything, if not _everything_ ).

“Minhyuk?”

Hyunwoo’s jaw dropped when he found his kitchen in a messy shape. There was flour everywhere, on the walls, on the floor, on the table, even on the stove. Egg shells were found on the kitchen counter, along with a pack of sugar—Hyunwoo just bought it yesterday, and now the pack was half empty. Hyunwoo also saw his mixer on the counter, and he immediately realized what was happening right now.

His kitten was trying to make them breakfast.

“Minhyuk,” Hyunwoo sighed, head pounding as he thought of how to clean the mess later. “What have you done, kitten?”

Minhyuk—looking cute with Hyunwoo’s big sweater and an apron—jolted in surprise when he heard Hyunwoo’s voice. He turned around, and Hyunwoo could see that the cat boy was decorating a stack of pancakes with whip cream and strawberries.

“Hyunwoo!” Minhyuk exclaimed; he left his work and launched himself into Hyunwoo’s arms—his apron was stained by flour and something that looked like pancake batter, and now it dirtied Hyunwoo’s clothes, too. “I made breakfast! Pancakes and hot chocolate!”

“You also made a mess here,” Hyunwoo muttered. He pushed Minhyuk’s body away gently and entered the kitchen, eyebrows knitting together when he stepped on something powdery on the floor. “We should clean this up after eating breakfast.”

There was no response from Minhyuk, and it made Hyunwoo regret what he had said. He averted his gaze from the mess to his kitten behind him, and his heart clenched painfully when he saw Minhyuk looking sad and guilty.

“I’m sorry,” Minhyuk said with a small voice. “I-I will clean up the mess. I’m—I’m sorry, Hyunwoo, please don’t be mad…”

Hyunwoo felt the guilt claw inside his chest. He approached Minhyuk, bringing him into his embrace. Soft sobs were coming from the cat boy, and Hyunwoo blamed himself for it. He looked around the kitchen—yes, it looked awfully messy, but nothing was burnt, and the pancakes seemed delicious with the whip cream and strawberries on top. His kitchen might be a mess, but Minhyuk had successfully made the breakfast without burning anything, and he should’ve appreciated it instead of commenting on the room’s condition.

“Kitten,” Hyunwoo’s voice was way softer now, “I’m not mad. I’m sorry. Thank you for cooking us breakfast; it looks good. Now, let’s eat, okay? I’m hungry, and your pancakes smell so delicious.”

Minhyuk looked up at Hyunwoo; there were tears in his eyes and cheeks, and Hyunwoo brushed his thumbs to wipe them. Hyunwoo then planted a kiss on the cat boy’s nose, then on his cheeks and forehead, making Minhyuk giggle.

(The pancakes turned out to be too sweet for Hyunwoo’s liking, but it was still edible. Hyunwoo patted Minhyuk’s head, causing the cat boy to have pink tint on his cheeks—causing Hyunwoo to peck him on the lips.

Minhyuk’s lips tasted like sweet cream and strawberry.)


	7. "I Love You."

It was a cold day during winter when Hyunwoo spent his Sunday at home, not doing anything. It had been midday, but he was still in bed. Minhyuk was lying on top of his body, singing some children song, but just like him, Minhyuk hadn’t been out of the bed since morning as well.

“We should move from this bed, you know,” Hyunwoo said as he lazily played with Minhyuk’s silky strands. “We haven’t even had breakfast yet, and it’s been too late to call it brunch. Aren’t you hungry?”

Minhyuk looked up to Hyunwoo—Hyunwoo couldn’t stop himself from squishing Minhyuk’s cheeks because he looked so pure and innocent—and shook his head. “Can’t we stay in bed all day?” he asked before laying his head back onto Hyunwoo’s chest.

“We still need to eat,” The black-haired male sighed. He tried to get up, but Minhyuk didn’t want to move away from him even an inch. “Kitten, come on. Let me prepare lunch for us.”

“Can we order something from Hoseok’s restaurant, so you don’t have to get off of the bed?” Minhyuk asked again—he used his kitty eyes to melt Hyunwoo’s heart, which always worked, including this time.

Hyunwoo kept his eyes on Minhyuk, adoring his breathtakingly adorable kitten. He then cupped Minhyuk’s cheeks and brought the beautiful face closer before pressing his lips against Minhyuk’s soft ones. “An hour,” he muttered between the kiss. “An hour and we should do something before we’re rotten in this bed.”

Minhyuk giggled, but he agreed. “An hour, then,” he said, nibbling on Hyunwoo’s lower lip. “Hyunwoo.”

Hyunwoo hummed, lips still lingering on Minhyuk’s skin, now on his jaw. He grunted when Minhyuk pushed himself away from him but didn’t protest because what Minhyuk said next managed to send a thousand butterflies into his stomach.

“I love you, Hyunwoo.”

It was the first time the word love was uttered in their life together. Hyunwoo had never expected that it would come first from Minhyuk, but who cares. It was beautiful, the feelings they had for each other. Hyunwoo felt his life had been complete, and he couldn’t ask for more.

Never had he imagined he would fall for a cat hybrid, but he did, and everything felt so right. Everything fell into the right place; his heart fell for the right person.

_Minhyuk is all I need._

Hyunwoo smiled the warmer smile he’d ever given to someone, and he pulled his kitten down to kiss him deeply, yet ever so gently.

“I love you too, Minhyuk. I love you.”

(They ended up spending more than an hour in bed, doing stuff they’d never thought they would do—from making out to making love, and making Minhyuk have some difficulties to walk, maybe for a couple of days.

It wasn’t like Minhyuk minded it, anyway, because unable to walk properly meant more cuddling with Hyunwoo.

Oh, of course, Hyunwoo didn’t mind cuddling his kitten all day at all.)


End file.
